Government Reassures Small Business Operators

State Minister in the Ministry of National Security, Senator the Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., says the Government remains committed to creating a safe environment for small business operators.

Speaking at a Small Business Association of Jamaica (SBAJ) Biz Social, held on January 31 at the offices of the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) in Kingston,
Mr. Charles said the Government continues its effort to manage criminal activities.

“Between the Ministry of National Security and all of our departments, we are trying to use all assets at our fingertips to stem the crime,” he said.

Mr. Charles informed the group of small business owners that as part of the Ministry’s crime-fighting initiative, the Government is developing a system to create interconnectivity across all the national security departments and agencies.

This will enable the Ministry’s internal departments and agencies to function with greater efficiency, he said.

“One of the main problems is that we have all of these databases that are isolated. We have several departments that have information that has been captured over several years. We want to ensure that we have a system that connects the departments within the Ministry of National Security,” Senator Charles said.

Included in the 12 departments and agencies are: the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA), the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) and the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA).

These divisions currently operate using individual databases. Mr. Charles pointed out that greater interconnectivity between these critical agencies will allow for greater regulation of the country’s national security agencies.

Meanwhile, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Clifford Chambers, who also spoke, said the security forces remain committed to maintaining law and order in the society as this is the platform on which all industries are based.

Noting that Jamaica is ranked 86 among 190 nations surveyed in the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2015-2016, the Assistant Commissioner said Jamaica is leading the

Caribbean in improvement over the last five competitiveness reports, with Trinidad and Tobago ranked at 89, the Dominican Republic at 98, Guyana at 121 and Haiti, 134.
The 2017 staging of the SBAJ Biz Social was held under the theme: ‘Impact of Crime on Small Businesses’.

This is the first of four series slated to be hosted by the SBAJ throughout the year. The fora aim to inform members about issues affecting businesses.